2020 First Extraordinary Session ENROLLED SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 30 BY SENATOR TARVER A RESOLUTION To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the death of Macura Hamilton. WHEREAS, it is with deep regret and profound sorrow that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana has learned of the passing of Macura Hamilton on June 17, 2020, at eighty-five years of age; and WHEREAS, he was born on October 8, 1934, to the late Lonnie and Ella Dee Moore Hamilton in Greenwood, Louisiana, the third eldest of twelve siblings; and WHEREAS, Macura Hamilton confessed Christ as his Lord and Savior at an early age and was baptized by the late Reverend A. H. Holland at the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Greenwood; and WHEREAS, he grew up within Caddo Parish in Rodessa, Louisiana, where family was cherished and everyone was family; where uncompromising respect for parents, love of family, hard work, and self-reliance were hallmark qualities; and where he worked in the cotton fields, chopping and picking cotton to help aid in financing his education; and WHEREAS, Macura Hamilton was educated in the Caddo Parish School System and graduated in 1953 from Booker T. Washington High School in Shreveport, Louisiana; the first in his immediate family to receive a formal education, he matriculated at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he received a Bachelor of Science in music education in 1958; he later earned a Master of Arts in education in 1966 from Columbia University in New York and obtained further education in counseling and guidance from several schools including Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana, Page 1 of 3 SR NO. 30 ENROLLED Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina, and Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, and was also certified as a Louisiana licensed professional counselor; and WHEREAS, his teaching career began in St. Landry Parish in Washington, Louisiana, in 1958, prior to serving two years of active military duty as a chaplain's assistant in the United States Army and two years in the United States Active Reserve; and WHEREAS, upon his discharge, Macura Hamilton was employed in the Caddo Parish School System for approximately forty years, first as a teacher and then as a guidance counselor for thirty of those years; and WHEREAS, he married Delia F. Monroe in 1965 and to this union, two daughters were born, Felicia Mechelle and Kimberly Yvette; and WHEREAS, after serving several years as a musician at St. Rest Baptist Church, Macura Hamilton united with the St. Rest Baptist Church family in 1969 in view of a letter from Lake Bethlehem Baptist Church; he faithfully served as music director and organist for more than fifty years, in the deacon ministry, and as chairman for a number of years, as the assistant finance chairman, and on the trustee board as well as in many other ministries in the church; and WHEREAS, recognized as a musical giant in the community, he introduced classical music, cantatas, operettas, and anthems to diverse crowds of all generations and celebrated the rich heritage of spirituals and gospel music that will inspire generations to come; and WHEREAS, Macura Hamilton actively served in many professional and community organizations in which he received many honors of distinction; and WHEREAS, he was preceded in death by his parents and three siblings, John E. Hampton Hamilton, Dorothy Hamilton Green, and Joyce Hamilton June; and WHEREAS, cherishing his memories are his wife of fifty-four years, Delia Monroe Hamilton; two daughters, Attorney Felicia M. Hamilton and Dr. Kimberly Y. Hamilton-Wims (Alfred Jr.); two brothers, Rev. Lonnie Hamilton Jr. (Ret.) and Robert Hamilton (Beverly); six sisters, Ella Hamilton Dixson, Maxine Hamilton Webb, Elizabeth Hamilton, Molly Hamilton Guy, Dr. Patsy Hamilton Solomon (Alphonsa), and Bobbie Hamilton Poindexter (Rene), and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends; and Page 2 of 3 SR NO. 30 ENROLLED WHEREAS, the death of Macura Hamilton has left a substantial void in his community and a sense of loss in the citizens whose lives he touched, and his memory shall live forever in the minds and hearts of all those who knew and loved this remarkable gentleman; and WHEREAS, the success of the state of Louisiana, the strength of our communities, and the overall vitality of American society depend in great measure upon men like Macura Hamilton who lead by example and make the world a better place for all future generations. THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Macura Hamilton, record for posterity his outstanding achievements, and extend enduring appreciation for the tremendous pride and honor that he will forever bring to Caddo Parish, the state of Louisiana, and the United States of America. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the family of Macura Hamilton. PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE Page 3 of 3